Method of making candle packages



April 27, 1 R. H. CHURCHILL METHOD OF MAKING CANDLE PACKAGES OriginalFiled Oct. 28, 1960 United S This invention relates to a candle packageand to a method for producing such a package, the method beingparticularly useful in connection with candles formed from low meltinpoint waxes.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.74,127, filed October 28, 1960, new Patent No. 3,l24,247.

Certain candles, such as the type commonly known as sanctuary candles,are customarily molded from waxes having melting points within the rangeof about 90 to 130 degrees 1 Because of the relative softness and lowmelting points of these waxes, the candles from which they are formedrequire special protective containers for retaining their shape duringtransit, storage and use. Ordinarily, the containers comprise hollowglass cylinders closed at their bottom ends. Such containers or vesselsare expensive in relation to total candle cost and, because of theirweight and breakability, are inconvenient and expensive to ship andhandle. The ultimate users, usually churches, funeral establishments andthe like, are burdened with this inconvenience and expense, both ofwhich are often considerable in view of the extensive and continuingdema d for such consumable items.

..ngly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a relativelyfast and inexpensive method for formin and packaging candles of lowmelting point wax. Another object is to provide a candle package whichis relative inexpensive and which is particularly adapted for so as areplacement item for permanent candle holders. Another object is toprovide a method for making a candle package including a wrapper whichmay be easily removed from the candle prior to insertion of the candleinto a suitable holder, ordinarily a permanent and higmy decorated glassholder. A still further object is to provide a candle forming method inwhich a wrapper formed of paper or other flexible, deformable materialis utilized in forming the candle into a cylindrical shape.

Other objects will appear from the specification and drawings in which:

FEGURE 1 is a broken perspective view showing, in somewhat schematicform, the forming and cutting of candle sections;

FlGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating a further o in the method offorming a candle package;

ZGURE 3 is a side elevational view taken partly in section and showing acandle immediately after insertion into its wrapper;

FEGURE 4 is a side elevational view, taken partly in section, which issimilar to FEGURE 3 but which shows he package at a later step in themethod;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which aplurality of candle packages may be supported for shipment and storagein vertical condition;

i i-GU is a broken perspective view illustrating a modification of themethod of the present invention.

in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in H6- URES 1 through 5,the numeral it) generally designates a candle or candle section formedby an extruding machine ll and cut by blade 12. Candle section ll), asWell as the wax rod 13 from which it is cut, is preferably cylindricalin shape. Through the center of the rod extends a wick which is slicedby a blade 12 as the extruded wax rod is cut into candle sections,Therefore, immediately all r cutting, each candle section has a zick 1dof the same length as the cylinder of wax.

tes Patent 0 For reasons which will appear hereinafter, it is desirableto provide a relatively stiff Wick for each candle section. This may beaccomplished by using a leaded wick, as it is commonly known in the art,consisting of cloth fibers extending about a thin wire core of lead orsome other low melting point metal.

While Waxes of various melting point ranges might be used, the presentinvention has particualr utility in the forming of candles from lowmelting point waxes. By low melting point waxes, I mean waxes and waxcompositions having melting points ranging between to degrees F. Suchwaxes are soft even at room temperature and result in a candle lackingthe stability of form characteristic of candles made of hard highmelting point wax. Immediately following extrusion, and to a lesserextent when the candle section has cooled to room temperature, suchwaxes can best be described as soft, plastic and semisolid.

immediately following the extruding and cutting steps, the candlesection Ill is inserted into a vertical sleeve 15 formed of paper orother flexible, deformable and nonstretchable material. The paper shouldbe treated so that it is substantially non-porous and impermeable. Whilepaper has been found highly effective for forming the sleeve or wrapper15, other materials such as foil or plastics having similar propertiesmight also be used.

The length of the sleeve is the same as the length of a freshly cutcandle section lib or, to put it diiferently, is the same as the lengthof leaded wick 14. The sleeves internal diameter is appreciably lar erthan the diameter of the freshly cut candle section and, as a result,such a section may be readily placed within the upright sleeve asindicated in i IGURE 2.

Sleeve 15 and the inserted candle section it rest on the non-poroussurface of a suitable sealing element 16. Element 16 may be formed fromany fiat, non-porous and oil-impermeable material although a'thin sheetof metal foil or some other material which tends to be cool to the touchis preferred.

Candle section it) is placed within the sleeve immediately following theextruding and cutting steps while the wax is in a particularly soft andplastic condition. Lacking adequate lateral support because of theannular spacing 1'7 between the candle section and sleeve, the wax tendsto ilow outwardly to fill the space and, as a result, the upper surfaceof the candle section sinks downwardly below the tip of the wick toexpose the wicks upper portion (FIGURE 4). The downward and outward flowof wax continues until the wax exerts a firm outward force in allhorizontal directions upon the non-stretchable sleeve.

The difference etween the inside diameter of the sleeve and the diameterof the candle section immediately following extrusion depcnds upon theextent of wick exposure desired at the top of the completed candle.Ordinarily, the length of the exposed wick portion 18 should rangebetween about one-eighth to three-eighths inch. Therefore, the volume ofthe annular space 17 should be substantially the same as the volume ofwax which must settle downwardly and outwardly to expose a wick portionof desired length.

Since the sleeve is substantially non-stretchable, its inner diameterdefines the diameter of the finished caudle. While both the candle andthe wrapper or sleeve are of cylindrical shape after the wax has sunkdown into the position shown in FIGURE 4, it is not essential that thecandle section it) or the sleeve 15 be of c lindrical shape at the timethe two are assembled (FIGURE 2). Generally cylindrical configurationfor both at the time of assembly is preferred because it facilitatesinsertion of the candle section within the sleeve. Nevertheless, theflexible and deformable sleeve and the a candle section will assumefinal cylindrical configurations even if they are non-cylindrical priorto the settling of the wax. As the soft wax settles, it tends to assumea shape of minimum volume and, since the sleeve is substantiallynon-stretchable, such a shape is necessarily cylindrical.

Metal foil has been found particularly effective as a sealing means forpreventing leakage of the soft wax from the bottom of sleeve or cover15. While the reason for this is not definitely known, it is believedthat the fact that metal tends to be cool to the touch results ingreater solidification of the wax at the base of the sleeve with lesstendency for the wax to flow outwardly from the open end of that sleeve.

The candle packages as illustrated in FIGURE 4 may be shipped and storedas long as some means is provided for preventing tipping movement of thecandle packages in response to the lateral forces which may be expectedto occur during handling and shipment. Such lateral stabilizing meansmight take the form of partitions 19 and the walls 20 of a carton orcontainer 21 as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The vertical dimensions of thecompartments defined by the partitions are substantially the same as thevertical dimensions of the sleeves 15 or" the candle packages disposedwithin those compartments so that axial movement as Well as lateralmovement of the packages is prevented. It is to be understood that thebottom inside surface of the carton is lined or coated with foilor someother suitable waximpermeable material to form a bottom wallcorresponding exactly with sealing element 16.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a variation in the steps illustrated in FIGURES land 2. In FIGURE 6, the slicing or cutting step occurs after the candlesection 10 has been inserted into sleeve 15, the two elements'being cutsimultaneously by blade 12. The sleeves are formed by a continuous strip22 of sheetmaterial which is continuously folded by a suitable formingelement 23 which also brings the longitudinal edges of the striptogether so that they will seal upon contact or upon the application ofheat or the provision of some other condition prerequisite to theforming of a suitable seal.

While in the foregoing I have disclosed two embodiments of the inventionin considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may bevaried without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a method for forming a candle package, the steps comprisingpre-forming a candle section of semisolid wax having a melting pointwithin the range of about 90 to 130 degrees F., enclosing the sides ofsaid preformed candle section in a flexible, readily-deformable andnon-stretchable sleeve having open ends and having internal crosssectional dimensions greater than the cross sectional dimensions of saidcandle section, and orienting said sleeve and candle section verticallywhile at the same time completely sealing off the bottom of said sleeveto permit settling of the semi-solid wax under the influence of gravityand lateral expanding of said candle section into tight peripheralcontact with said sleeve, the settling of said wax thereby forming saidsleeve into generally cylindrical shape.

2. A method for forming a candle package comprising the steps ofpre-forming a candle section of semisolid wax, enclosing the sides ofsaid preformed candle section in a flexible, readily-deformable andnon-stretchable sleeve having internal cross sectional dimensionsgreater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candle section, andorienting said sleeve and candle secsemi-solid wax under the influenceof gravity and the lateral and downward flow of the same into tightperipheral contact with said sleeve, the settling of said wax therebyforming said sleeve into generally cylindrical shape.

3. In a method for forming a candle package, the steps of extruding abar of semi-solid wax having a wick extending therethrough, cutting saidbar into candle sections of predetermined length, enclosing the sides ofeach of said candle sections in a flexible, readily-deformable andnon-stretchable sleeve having internal cross sectional dimensionsgreater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candle section, andorienting said sleeve and candle section vertically while at the sametime com pletely sealing off the bottom of said sleeve to permit thesettling of the semi-solid wax under the influence of gravity and thelateral and downward flow of the same into tight contact with the innersurfaces of said sleeve, the settling of said wax thereby forming saidsleeve into generally cylindrical shape.

4. The method of claim 3 in which said cutting and enclosing steps areperformed at substantially the same time.

5. The method of claim 3 in which said cutting step precedes theenclosing of said candle section.

6. In a candle package forming method the steps of extruding and cuttingwick-equipped candle sections formed of warm semi-solid wax, enclosingeach of said candle sections in a flexible, readily-deformable andnonstretchable sleeve while the wax thereof is still soft and warm, andimmediately thereafter orienting each of said sleeves and candlesections vertically upon a non-porous surface to seal off the open lowerends of said sections, said sleeves each having internal cross sectionaldimensions greater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candlesections, whereby, the soft warm wax settles under the influence ofgravity and expands outwardly into firm contact with the inner surfacesof said sleeves to expose portions of said wicks at the upper ends ofsaid sections and to form said sleeves into generally cylindrical shape.

7. The method of claim 6 in which said candle section is formed from asemi-solid wax having a melting point within the range of about 90 to130 degrees F.

8. The method of claim 6 in which there is the additional step ofsupporting said candle sections and sleeves against lateral tippingmovement after the same have tion vertically upon a non-porous surfaceto seal off the lower end of said sleeve and permit the settling of thebeen assembled and oriented upon said non-porous surface.

9. In a candle package forming method, the steps of extruding andcutting wick-equipped candle sections formed of semi-solid wax,enclosing each of said candle sections in a flexible, readily-deformableand non-porous paper sleeve having internal cross sectional dimensionsgreater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candle sections,said sleeve having a length substantially the same as the length of thecandle :sections wick, and thereafter orienting said sleeve and candlesection vertically upon a non-porous surface toseal completely the lowerend of said sleeve and permit a downward and outward settling of thesemi-solid wax under the influence of gravity, thereby forming a candleof cylindrical shape having a wick portion exposed at the top thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,654,871 Gage et a1. Ian. 3, 1928 1,986,589 Mapes Jan. 1, 19352,006,376 Vogt July 2, 1935 2,103,237 Deckert Dec. 28, 1937 2,137,707Wade et a1 Nov. 22, 1938

3. IN A METHOD FOR FORMING A CANDLE PACKAGE, THE STEPS OF EXTRUDING ABAR OF SEMI-SOLID WAX HAVING A WICK EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, CUTTING SAIDBAR INTO CANDLE SECTIONS OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH, ENCLOSING THE SIDES OFEACH OF SAID CANDLE SECTIONS IN A FLEXIBLE, READILY-DEFORMABLE ANDNON-STRETCHABLE SLEEVE HAVING INTERNAL CROSS SECTIONAL DIMENSIONSGREATER THAN THE CROSS SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF SAID CANDLE SECTION, ANDORIENTING SAID SLEEVE AND CANDLE SECTION VERTICALLY WHILE AT THE SAMETIME COMPLETELY SEALING OFF THE BOTTOM OF SAID SLEEVE TO PERMIT